Newnations Prescriptions

Summary: In April of this year, negotiators finally managed to achieve a breakthrough in Serbia-Kosovo relations. The deal instated an agreement that would see Belgrade abolish the parallel systems that have, up until now, been in place for Kosovan Serbs in the country’s north in order to secure greater autonomy for them. This was a major step forward, since Belgrade has been famously resolute in refusing to recognise the sovereignty of the Kosovan state and has fiercely tried to protect the ethnic Serbs who live in the country’s north. The genesis of this project was pressure for Serbia to reach normalised relations with Kosovo if the country wishes to pursue an EU bid. Regretfully, recent events at local elections suggest that the process of normalisation, even if there may be political will, seems to have been derailed somewhat. On the economic front, Serbia is, like many of its neighbours, struggling with skyrocketing debt.